1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an emergency informing apparatus mounted on a vehicle for informing at least an emergency condition, position data, and identification data of the vehicle in response to a command signal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An emergency informing apparatus mounted on a vehicle for informing at least an emergency condition, position data, and identification data of the vehicle in response to a command signal is known. Such a prior art emergency informing apparatus informs a police, etc. of at least emergency condition data, position data, and identification data of the vehicle in response to a switch.
The aim of the present invention is to provide a superior emergency informing apparatus.
According to this invention a first emergency informing apparatus for a vehicle is provided. The first emergency informing apparatus includes: a power supplying circuit including: a backup battery; and a voltage detection circuit for detecting a voltage of a battery of the vehicle. The power supplying circuit generates a supply power for the emergency informing apparatus from either of the battery of the vehicle or the backup battery in accordance with the detected voltage. The first emergency informing apparatus further includes a position detecting unit for detecting a position of the emergency informing apparatus in response to a command signal or a switch. The first emergency informing apparatus further includes a data generation circuit including a memory for generating emergency data including at least emergency condition data, identification data of the vehicle from the memory, called party data from the memory, and the position data in response to the command signal. The first emergency informing apparatus further includes a transmitting circuit for making a call with the called party data and transmitting emergency data to a called party indicated by the called party data in response to the command signal. The first emergency informing apparatus further includes a detecting circuit responsive to a detection command signal for detecting a condition of the backup battery. The first emergency informing apparatus further includes a display for displaying battery data in accordance with the detected condition.
In the first emergency informing apparatus, the detecting circuit detects an amount of remaining energy of the backup battery and the display displays the detected amount of remaining energy as the battery data.
The first emergency informing apparatus further includes a judging circuit for judging an error of the backup battery in accordance with the detected condition and judging a replacing timing of the backup battery in accordance with the detected condition. The display displays the battery data including data indicating the error and data indicating the replacing timing.
In the first emergency informing apparatus, the display flickers in accordance with the detected condition.
In the first emergency informing apparatus, the display flickers at a cycle determined in accordance with a value of the detected condition.
In this case, the display circuit includes a light emitting diode or a liquid crystal display.
The first emergency informing apparatus further includes a running condition detection circuit for detecting a running condition of an engine of the vehicle; a timer having a predetermined time interval value; and a detection command signal generation circuit for generating the detection command signal at a timing determined in accordance with the running condition detection circuit and the timer.
According to this invention, there is provided a second emergency informing apparatus. The second emergency informing apparatus for a vehicle includes: a power supplying circuit including: a backup battery; and a voltage detection circuit for detecting a voltage of a battery of the vehicle. The power supplying circuit generates a supply power for the emergency informing apparatus from either of the battery of the vehicle or the backup battery in accordance with the detected voltage. The second emergency informing apparatus further includes a position detecting unit for detecting a position of the emergency informing apparatus in response to a command signal. The second emergency informing apparatus further includes a data generation circuit including a memory for generating emergency data including at least identification data of the vehicle from the memory, called party data from the memory, and the position data in response to the command signal. The second emergency informing apparatus further includes a transmitting circuit for making a call with the called party data and transmitting emergency data to a called party indicated by the called party data in response to the command signal. The second emergency informing apparatus further includes a running condition detection circuit for detecting a running condition of an engine of the vehicle. The second emergency informing apparatus further includes a timing control circuit having a predetermined time interval value for generating a timing signal. The second emergency informing apparatus further includes a detecting circuit responsive to a detection command signal for detecting a condition of the backup battery and for outputting data of the detected condition. The detection command signal generation circuit generates the detection command signal at a timing determined in accordance with the running condition detection circuit and the timing signal.
In the second emergency informing apparatus, the running condition detection circuit includes a start-up detection circuit for detecting a start-up condition of the engine of the vehicle. The timing control circuit is responsive to the start-up detection circuit for measuring an interval between the previous start-up condition and the present start-up condition and comparing the interval with the predetermined time interval value. The detection command signal generation circuit generates the detection command signal in response to the timing control circuit and the start-up detection circuit when the interval exceeds the predetermined time interval value.
The second emergency informing apparatus further includes an inputting circuit for inputting the predetermined time interval to the timing control circuit.
In the second emergency informing apparatus, the timing control circuit periodically generates the timing signal at an interval corresponding to the predetermined time interval value. Moreover, the detection command signal generation circuit generates the detection command signal in response to the timing control circuit and the running condition detection circuit when the running condition detection circuit detects the running condition of the engine and the timing signal is generated.
In the second emergency informing apparatus, the running condition detection circuit includes a start-up detection circuit for detecting a start-up condition of the engine of the vehicle. The timing control circuit is responsive to the detection command signal generation circuit to measure an interval corresponding to the predetermined time interval value from the battery test. The detection command signal generation circuit generates the detection command signal in response to the timing signal and the start-up condition detection circuit when the start-up condition detection circuit detects the start-up condition of the engine after the interval has passed from the previous battery test.